Wolbach & Brach Department Store

You are traveling down Hastings Avenue on a crisp October afternoon, 1891. The clickity-clack of horses hooves and rumble of carriage wheels upon the brick-paved street flood your ears. The smell of honey-cured ham and warm sourdough bread at Noyes & Baird's Delicatessen beckon your appetite.

You arrive at 709 West Second Street, where the giant glass display windows of Wolbach & Brach department store entice you with the finest goods in the state. Constructed in the Romanesque style, the building's distinctive stone arches frame windows filled with exotic merchandise. As you enter the store you are greeted by the friendly charm of William and Woldorf Brach.

It is then that you notice the diversity of items and grand scale of shopping opportunities covering three floors and over 18,000 square feet. Items of every description are arranged in artistic confusion dry goods, ready-to-wear clothing, toiletries, confectionery, shoes, skeins of yarn, and general haberdashery. Visiting in this store is a memorable experience.

The Wolbach & Brach Department Store commenced business in the spring of 1875. It was one of Hastings' oldest continuous businesses when it sold to Schweser's in 1966. It also operated under the names Wolbach Brothers, Brach's, Inc. and Brach-Thompson. William Brach, the firm's principal partner, was known for his business savvy and progressive management style. His home at 823 North Lincoln in Hastings is on the National Register of Historic Places.